FILM REVIEW – ‘DEADPOOL’ (2016)

Friday, February 12th, 2016 marks the official release of DEADPOOL, the latest Marvel superhero film from Fox. Nerd Nation Magazine was in attendance for the official press screening 8 days earlier on Thursday, February 4th courtesy of 20th Century Fox, Regal Cinemas, and Allied Marketing.

(image courtesy of 20th Century Fox)

Due to a media embargo, we couldn’t post this review until today (Saturday, February 6th) of what has been easily the most highly-anticipated release of 2016. But did Deadpool live up to the hype? Read on to see for yourselves!

For those unfamiliar with everyone’s favorite “Merc with a Mouth,”Deadpool, this may require quite a bit of explanation. You see, while Deadpool exists within the main Marvel Universe, and more specifically the X-Men continuity, he is absolutely nothing like any other character in their vast arsenal of characters. Not only is he a foul-mouthed, snarky, wisecracking, lunatic… he’s also the only one who actually knows he’s a fictional characer in a fictional universe. Okay, now that this little fact is out of the way, let’s get to the actual film review!

(image courtesy of 20th Century Fox)

Deadpool tells the story of Wade Wilson (played by Ryan Reynolds of Green Lantern, Van Wilder, and The Amityville Horror remake), a former soldier in the US Army Special Forces, who has since applied his exceptional fighting skills (and of course, signature wit) to mercenary work. When he is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he is approached by a sinister organization (known to comic fans as Weapon-X) who forces a fantastic mutation in him that instantly heals all injuries and illnesses… including his rapidly advancing cancer, which since it’s always working, leaves him deformed. Although the group attempted to turn him into a super-powered slave, Wilson escapes, and begins using his new-found abilities to… well… continue being a mercenary.

(image courtesy of 20th Century Fox)

He dons the signature suit, becomes Deadpool, and sets off to track down Ajax/Francis (Ed Skrein of Game of Thrones) the man who tortured him, and kidnapped his fiance Vanessa (Morena Baccarin of Firefly, Serenity, and Gotham). Along the way, he enlists the help of X-Men members Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and (the rather-obscure character named for the Monster Magnet song) Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand).

(image courtesy of 20th Century Fox)

Now, all of this is fine on its own, but it’s really only half the story. The other half is the signature wit, sass, constant wisecracks, and of course frequent breaking of the 4th wall that Deadpool is so known for. Deadpool serves as not only the main character, but also the audience’s guide through the entire film, sparing no one from his various digs and jabs… especially towards studio 20th Century Fox, who he continuously makes fun of for their previous (and admittedly awful) efforts in the X-Men franchise, particularly the X-Men Origins: Wolverine which saw a completely nonsensical and horribly inaccurate depiction of Wade Wilson and the very obvious fact that somehow Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead are the only X-Men members around whatsoever. Along the way, he manages to take several digs at Green Lantern, as well as various other aspects of pop culture, and even takes time to bash the film’s budget, the filmmakers, writers, producers, and even viewers. This is all par for the course, and just simply wouldn’t be Deadpool without it.

(image courtesy of 20th Century Fox)

I won’t say anything else about the story, or what any of the 4th wall breaks are for fear of spoiling anything here… you’ll just have to see it for yourself, and let’s be honest, if you’re one of our dear readers here at Nerd Nation, you most likely will (and this is why we love you.) As for the technical side of things, the cinematography, costuming, effects, and soundtrack are all outstanding, and fit the film perfectly.

The Bottom Line:
Overall, Deadpool is just all-around fantastic. It’s absolutely everything a Deadpool movie should be and more. It’s hilarious, it’s ultra-violent, it’s action-packed, and most importantly, it’s extremely fun! In fact, this movie is so good it almost makes up for all of the less-than-stellar to outright terrible Marvel films that Fox has made before… and let’s be honest, has a pretty bad reputation for. Beyond that, while it absolutely helps to be a fan of Deadpool already, it’s still a perfectly entertaining film for those unfortunate few who might not be. Just, don’t bring the kids to this one. Bring some chimichangas instead! Seriously, go see this movie. in fact, go see it a few times. It might just (believe it or not) be the best film of 2016! – 10.0/10